ISTANBUL - A disciplinary investigation was opened against woman prisoners who reacted to the shoe search practice imposed in Bakırköy Women's Closed Prison. OHD member Sezin Uçar said that they would file a criminal complaint.

 

 

Rights violations against political prisoners held in prisons in Turkey and Kurdistan; It continues with practices such as strip searches, oral searches, handcuffed examinations and disciplinary investigations. It was stated that shoe searches were imposed on woman prisoners in Istanbul Bakırköy Women's Closed Prison on March 28, and a disciplinary investigation was opened against those who opposed the practice.

 

Stating that woman prisoners decided to go to meetings without shoes as a reaction to the practice, Lawyers for Freedom Association (OHD) Headquarters Manager Sezin Uçar called for public awareness. 

Sezin Uçar, Headquarters Manager of Lawyers Association for Freedom (OHD)

 

REACTION FROM PRISONERS TO THE IMPLEMENTATION

 

Providing information about what happened in the prison, Uçar said: “In the past weeks, there has been an attack on political women prisoners in Bakırköy Women's Closed Prison. There was a clear imposition of shoes on our clients. The prisoners reacted to this situation with slogans and stated that they would keep their shoes intact. Because this is an unlawful practice according to the international agreements to which Turkey is a party, the Constitution, and various legislation binding correctional officers.”

 

A CRIMINAL COMPLAINT WILL BE FILED

 

Uçar said that a disciplinary investigation was opened against the prisoners who appeared without shoes as a reaction, and that they would file a criminal complaint against the officers.

 

PRESSURES REMAINED WITHOUT RESULTS

 

Stating that the attacks in prisons are related to the political situation in Turkey, Uçar said: "Although there have been serious attacks in the last 9 years, the will of political prisoners in prisons has not been dissolved or torn apart in any way. Prisoners who have been incarcerated for 30 years are facing execution postponements today. They want to impose dishonorable approaches and practices on people who have spent most of their lives in prison. Or, various oppression policies are implemented in prisons, but when we look at the past period, none of these were accepted by the prisoners. The political power could not get results from any of these practices."

 

PART OF ISOLATION

 

Reminding that the prisoners continued their actions within the scope of the "Freedom for PKK Leader Abdullah Ocalan and solution to the Kurdish issue" campaign, Uçar continued: "The prisoners went on a hunger strike. They tried to create public opinion regarding their demands. By isolating the prisoners, the authorities actually want to isolate the entire society. This also needs to be seen. They want to isolate them. Not only about the shoe search in Bakırköy, but also violence, detention and arrest against families, and relatives of prisoners who deposited money have increased recently. This shows that this attack concept is actually a reflection and part of isolation policies.”

 

CALL FOR AWARENESS

 

Underlining that political prisoners gave the necessary response to these practices, Uçar lastly said: “Actually, political prisoners give the necessary response to these practices. What is needed now is for the public, various democratic mass organizations, and various political parties that remain silent about prison policies to be more aware and more effective in action, both regarding the isolation in Imrali, the isolation in all prisons, and the isolation policy imposed on society."